Good Eating in Lisbon

Food Post Disclaimer: In the era of Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmern, and the Food Network, everyone seems to be an expert in the art of food description. I'm only an expert in the art of food eating, so I'm afraid that readers of Travel, Je T'aime will have to excuse adjectives like "yummy" and "flavorful." 

On the first day of 2012, I boarded a flight to Portugal. Although I was trying to recover from an eventful New Year's Eve in London (read: rum and champagne), I was also looking forward to a delicious Portuguese meal. Ignoring my nausea, I called over a friendly-looking flight attendant and asked for restaurant recommendations. He reached into my seat pocket, pulled out a paper bag -- hey, I might need that! -- and proceeded to jot down a few names.

Once in Lisbon, my friends and I ate and ate ... and ate. Damn those pastry shops! We didn't have a single bad meal, but two restaurants in particular stood out for me:

Império dos Sentidos

This intimate, dimly lit restaurant in Lisbon's youthful Bairro Alto neighborhood was one of our paper bag options. All three of us were very pleased with the service, the atmosphere, and most importantly the food. Thank you, flight attendant man!

Yum factor:

De-li-cious	Pretty tasty	Okay, I guess	Gross	This is food?
	X

Suggested dish: Duck risotto

• I tasted my friend's and wished I'd ordered it for myself. Don't you just hate when that happens?

Colorful (and delicious) risotto

Faca & Garfo 

Tucked away up a steep hill, this little restaurant is easy to miss, and, with the exception of mostly rave reviews on Trip Advisor, it has no real online presence. So when you step into the quiet, cozy space and receive a warm welcome, you instantly feel like a local. Then there's the food -- no nonsense traditional Portuguese fare. If I'm ever in Lisbon again, I intend to devour another meal at Faca & Garfo. It's worth the climb.

Yum factor:

De-li-cious	Pretty tasty	Okay, I guess	Gross	This is food?
X

Suggested appetizer: Goat cheese

• The appetizer includes both aged and fresh goat cheese; not ordering it is, in my estimation, an unforgivable offense.

Bread + goat cheese = heaven

Suggested dish: Bacalhau (codfish)

• This is probably Portugal's most celebrated dish, so you MUST try it. It's like, the law.

Expertly cooked and simply presented codfish

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